Message-recording instrument



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shee,t I.

' B. J. NOYES.

MESSAGE REGORDING INSTRUMENT. No. 578,113. Patented Mar; 2, 1897,

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- (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. J. NOYBS. MESSAGE RBGORDING INSTRUMENT.

No. 578,113. I Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

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B. J. NOYES. MESSAGE RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

No 578,113. Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNIOE .I. NOYES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MESSAG E-RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,113, dated March 2,1897.

A li ti fil d June 25, 1896. Serial No. 596,894. (No model.)

To 04% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNICE J NoYEs, of Boston, county of Suffolk, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Message-RecordingInstruments, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals onthe drawings representing like parts.

Prior to this invention message-recording instruments have been madeadapted to be operated by any one of several circuits, and atime-printing device has been employed in conjunction with such aninstrument for printing the time upon the strip of paper upon which themessage is recorded. printing device has usually been operated by anelectromagnet the circuit of which is op erated by the message-recordinginstrument. IVith such an arrangement the time is printed upon the stripof paper some distance from the message, and as a matter of fact isusually printed upon or adjacent to the preceding message.Thereforetroublefrequently arises as explanation is required as to thetime any given message was received and more particularly when the stripof paper is taken into court by the officers.

This invention has for its object to construct a message-recordinginstrument by which the messages may be recorded upon a strip of paperand the time shall be printed upon the face side of said strip of paperclose to the message, as, for instance, it. may be printed as or justprevious to the strip of paper being fed along by the paper-feedingdevices set in operation upon the starting of the instrument.

In accordance with this invention a normally-wound motor mechanism isprovided, constructed and arranged to be let off by an electromagnetoperated by any one of the signaling-circuits connected with theinstrument, and when so released to operate and feed along the strip ofpaper for a given or suitable distance, and several pen-magnets areprovided, each adapted to be operated by its own circuit and tocooperate with suitable marking rolls or devices to mark, print, orrecord the message on the moving strip of paper, and the time-printingdevice is ar- Such a timeranged in juxtaposition to the aforesaidmarking devices, it comprising time-printing indicators and a platen soarranged that the strip of paper may be moved between them by theaforesaid paper-feeding mechanism, and a cam is provided which is drivenor operated by the aforesaid motor mechanism for operating said platenand suddenly forcing the strip of paper against the time-printingindicators, thus printing the time on the strip of paper close to themessage. The timeprinting devices are or maybe operated contin uously orintermittingly by an independent train of wheelwork or motor mechanism.Dating devices are provided in conjunction with the time-printing deviceby which the month and day of the month may be printed upon the strip ofpaper in conjunction with the time, said dating devices being operatedmanually.

My invention therefore consists in many details of construction to behereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 shows in plan view a messagerecording instrument embodying thisinvention, the clockwork or train which operates the time-printingdevices or indicators and some of the other parts of the time-printingmechanism being removed for clearness; Fig. 2, a side view of theinstrument shown in Fig. 1, the side plate being removed to expose theoperating parts; Fig. 3, a detail showing the dating devices; Fig. &, avertical section of the time-printing device; Fig. 5, a plan view of theplaten of the time-printing device and cam which operates it; Fig. 6, adetail of the means employed for turning the meridian-wheel of thetime-printing device, and Fig. '7 a view of the impression made by thetime printing device on the strip of paper.

My invention is herein shown as applied to a message-recordinginstrument such as shown in United States Patent No. 426,554 dated April29, 1890, yet so far as the invention is concerned it may be applied toany other well-known type of register.

In the particular type of register shown there is a boxlike frame A ofsuitable size and shape to contain the operating mechanism, whichcomprises a base, side walls and end walls, and a top plate, the sidewalls serving as bearings or supports for the shafts. A division-wall Ais secured in said box-like frame, dividing it longitudinally into twosections or compartments. In one section or compartment the main motormechanism is contained, which is herein represented as comprising a drumB, containing an actuating-spring having thereon a main driving gearj,which engages a pinion j, secured to a shaft j which has secured to it agear j, which engages a pinion j secured to a shaft d, which has securedto it a gear j, which engages a pinion j secured to the shaftj having onit an escape-wheelj and also a stop-arm which is engaged by a lever 12,secured to the shaft 11 and having a thin pin a midway its length, whichengages the stopwheel a secured to said shaft j The shaft 11 is rockedby an electromagnet M, which magnet is called the starting-magnet, andis included in or connected with or adapted to be operated by all of thesignaling-circuits which may be connected with the instrument, andwhenever it is energized (it being ordinarily employed in a localcircuit) the said motor mechanism is released.

The paper strip upon which the message is to be recorded is made quitewide and enters through a slot 20 formed in one of the end walls of theframe, and passes out through a slot 21 at the opposite end of theinstrument.

The paper-feeding device consists ofa ser rated wheel 22 fixed to ashaft Z2,which passes through both sections or compartments, and therotating presser-wheel Z), loosely mounted on astud projecting laterallyfrom the arm Z2 pivoted to the frame and having a fin ger-piece bprojecting out through the frame by means of which it may be raised andlowered.

To mark or print the message on the strip, which will be done by eitherdots or dashes, marking-surfaces c" are provided, formed as a part orattached to a roll or sleeve 0 mounted upon the rod or shaft (Z, which,like the shaft 1), is carried through both compartments. The toothedwheel 0 is fixed to the sleeve 0 which is engaged by a pinion fixed to ashaft 0 located beneath the sleeve, said shaft 0 having fixed to it apinion c which is engaged by a toothed wheel e fixed to the shaft 1),above referred to. By this arrangement the 1narking-surfaces 0' will berevolved in a direction opposite to the movement or travel of the paper,and will be driven from the shaft Z). Herein four such marking-surfacesare shown, as the instrument is designed for four circuits. Themarking-surfaces are located just above the paper, and the paper islifted into contact therewith by the pens, and as the instrument isherein designed for four circuits four pens c are employed, the free orouter ends of which when lifted strike against the under side of thepaper and lift it against the marking-surfaces. The pens care attachedto the armature-carrying-levers c, pivoted at e to a suitable framework,and said levers e have attached to the under side thereof armatures c ofthe electromagnet 6', four such electromagnets being herein shown. Theseelectromagnets are placed in or arranged to be operated by four separateand independent circuits, and hence are independently operative.

Inking devices are provided for the marking devices, comprising feltrollsf, bearing directly upon them, said rolls being loosely conneetedto or journaled in the outer ends of the arms f and loosely mounted uponthe rods f movable back and forth in suitable guideways to move saidfelt rolls into contact with the ink-rolls g, which are placed in theink-reservoir c, and fixed to a shaft g, hearing a toothed wheel 9 whichis engaged by a pinion g on the sleeve e, and thereby positivelyrotated.

The paper which enters the slot 20 of the instrument and upon which themessage is to be printed passes under an inking-ribbon 0, which islocated just beneath the timeprinting indicators and over a platen 0 orplate secured to the end of an arm 0 pivoted to the middle wall A at osaid arm having an extension 0', which projects through a slot in saidmiddle wall and is engaged by a cam 0 secured to one of the shafts ofthe motor mechanism, as, for instance, it may be secured to the shaft 3'The arm 0' is raised by said cam 0 against the stress of the spring 0 tothereby depress the platen, and when the apparatus is at rest saidplaten is thus normally depressed, as shown in Fig. 2, with the end ofthe arm 0' just ready to drop as soon as the cam is started, so that theplaten will he suddenly lifted just as the instrument starts. Theinking-ribbon o, of any suitable kind,passes over suitable rolls 0 o,the shafts of one of said rolls, as o being extended and projecting outthrough the end wall of the instrument, and havingsecured to it athumbnut by which it may be normally turned to wind the ribbon 011 itsroll, and the shaft of the other roll has secured to it a toothed wheel0", which lies in the path of movement of the latch 0 projecting fromthe platen, so that each time said platen is raised said latch willengage said toothed wheel and turn the roll one step, therebyintermittingly feeding along the inking-ribbon.

The time-printing indicators comprise the minute-wheel 1), made as acrown-wheel, secured to a sleeve 1), having fast to it a gear 19 whichis engaged and driven by a gear p which may be connected with and drivenby any suitable motor mechanism, (not shown,) and an hour-wheel 1)",made as a crown-wheel and arranged concentrically within the minutecrown-wheel p and secured to a sleeve 29 having thereon a gear 2), whichis engaged by a pinion 19 secured to a shaft 13 having secured to it agear 19 which is engaged by a pinion p secured to a sleeve 19.

These two crown-wheels are turned continuously, and one has formed onits lower end or face figures representing the hours and the otherfigures representing the minutes. On a central rod or shaft t ameridian-wheel t is secured, said wheel having on it the letters A. M.,P. M., and said shaft t passes up through the sleeve p and has securedto it two opposite projections 15 i and also a lozengeshaped piece Thetriangular points of said piece t project in opposite ways midwaybetween the two projections 15 15 A cam-wheel is secured to the gear 1),tur ing with it, and a spring-pressed arm 25 is pivoted at 25 which hasa pin t in engagement with the cam 25. The arm i has 011 it a projectioni adapted to engage one or the other projection i 15 when the arm i isreleased by the cam and to at such time turn the rod or shaft i a littlemore than a quarter of a revolution. A flat spring 25 is secured at '6',and its free end bears upon one of the flat sides or faces of thelozengesl1aped piece '6", and as the rod or shaft is turned a littlemore than a quarter of a revolution by the springacting arm thelozenge-shaped piece will be turned sufiiciently to bring its oppositepoint into engagement with the flat spring 25 and far enough for thespring to thereafter act upon it and turn the rod or shaft 25 stillfarther. The spring-acting arm and flat spring together turn the rod orshaft one-half of a revolution and thereby bring either A. M. or P. M.uppermost. This meridian-wheel may be moved in any other desirable way.

Two dating-wheels a a are provided, one for the month and the other forthe day of the month, said wheels being secured to shafts M, whichproject out through the side walls of the instrument, and which have secured to them thumb-nuts, by means of which they may be turned manuallyas desired.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the particular construction ofall parts shown, as many of them may be changed without departing fromthe spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim- 1 1. In a message recording instrument, adapted to be connectedwith and operated by several signaling-circuits, the combination oftime-printing indicators and a platen, a paper-feedin g device forfeeding a strip of paper between them, electromagnetically-operatedmarking devices one for each circuit connected with the instrument,located close to said time-printing indicators, for recording a messageon the moving strip of paper, a motor mechanism for operating saidpaper-feeding device, a starting-magnet for releasing it common to allthe circuits, a cam secured to one of the shafts of said motormechanism,

and a lever actuated by it bearing said platen, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a message recording instrument, adapted to be connected with andoperated by several signaling-circuits, the combination of time-printingindicators and a platen, a paper-feeding device for feeding a strip ofpaper between them, electromagnetically-operated marking devices one foreach circuit connected with the instrument, located close to saidtime-printing indicators, for recording a message on the moving strip ofpaper, a motor mechanism for operating said paper-feeding device, havinga stop-wheel and a releasing lever engaging it whereby the motormechanism runs a certain length of time each time it is let off, anelectromaguet for operating said releasing-lever common to all thecircuits, a cam secured to one of the shafts of said motor mechanism,and a lever actuated by it bearing said platen, substantially as described.

3. In a message recording instrument, adapted to be connected with andoperated by several signaling-circuits, a motor mechanism, astarting-magnet for releasing it common to all the circuits connectedwith the instrument, paper-feeding devices operated by said motormechanism, several marking devices arranged side by side, andpen-magnets cooperative therewith, one for each circuit connected withthe instrument for recording the message on the moving strip of paper, atime-printing device located in juxtaposition to said marking devicescomprising timeprinting indicators over which the paper travels, theplaten 0 located beneath the paper, pivoted arm 0 carrying said platen,its extension 0, and the cam o secured to one of the shafts of saidmotor mechanism, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with a motor mechanism, of time-printing indicatorsand means for operating them, a platen, a pivoted arm carrying it havingan extension o and a cam o operated by said motor mechanism, aninking-ribbon overlying said time-printing indicators, two rolls overwhich it passes, or upon which it is wound, one of which is providedwith means for manually winding it and the other with a toothed wheel,and a latch operated by said platen for intermit-tingly operating saidtoothed wheel to move along the ink-ribbon step by step, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribin witnesses.

"ERNICE J. NOYES. lVitnesses:

JULIAN L. NOYES, HARRY O. ROBINSON.

